As you remember these fallen officers, take comfort in recalling that they dedicated their lives to the same principles of honor, duty and courage that brought you to the badge. Such a life is truly rich. Take strength in knowing that when an officer falls, our resolve to serve those in need is not diminished. Our dedication to protecting those in danger is not weakened. Our commitment to remembering those with whom we shared the badge does not fade.

Godspeed, brothers and sisters. You fought the good fight. Now rest in peace…

Officer Killed in Crash; Broad-sided By Speeding Driver

The community mourned veteran Bloomfield Hills police officer Gary Cooper Davis Thursday, who was killed doing what he loved.

"He was a good officer, one of the best," a fellow officer recalled.

Davis, a 12-year veteran of the Bloomfield Township force, had been trying to make a turn using the median on I-75 early Thursday morning when his squad car was hit by a yellow Ford Focus. Police say the 21-year-old driver has a previous drunk driving conviction from 2000, and are investigating drunk driving as a cause for the deadly accident.

36-year-old Davis was known as "Coop" to his friends, and fellow officers say he was a leader who set a good example for the younger officers.

"They are all taking it pretty rough," Bloomfield Police Chief Jeffrey Werner said. "We have 100 employees in the police department and township wide we've got about 275 employees, and everybody - whether they knew him on a daily basis or not - we're all just absolutely stunned."

"He had a leadership role on the shift, especially with the younger officers," Capt. Kirt Bowden explained. "They would come to him for advice and follow his example, the way that he would go and follow up on a crime and talk to people and listen to information from people."

Davis' wife Nikki is an officer for the Waterford Police Department. Fellow officers say the couple spent much of their free time camping with their three boxers.

"They were literally the match, when you talk about compassion, care for people, dedication to the job and the badge and honorable people," Waterford Twp. Chief John Dean remembered.

Davis was also a car buff, and his 1973 Dodge Charger, nicknamed "Unlawful," was featured on the front cover of an auto magazine.

Heartbroken officers and members of the Bloomfield Hills community came by the station Thursday afternoon to lend their support. Davis had been a school liaison officer, and many parents and other people in the community knew him well.

All say he will be missed terribly.

Has an officer fallen in your department or local area?Submit news articles and information on the incident to the PoliceOne site.

You must enable JavaScript in your browser to view and post comments.

Be the first to comment

PoliceOne comments can only be accessed by verified law enforcement professionals.
Please sign in or register to view or write your own comments below.

C.O.P.S.

TASER Foundation

The TASER Foundation’s mission is to honor the service and sacrifice of local and federal law enforcement officers lost in the line of duty by providing financial and edcuational support to their families.